Wednesday, 8 December 2010

London to save £30m by slashing Nanny

The jobs of hundreds of London health workers who tackle smoking, obesity and excessive drinking could be under threat, it emerged today. Although the Government put public health at the forefront of its agenda in a White Paper last week, with a promise of £4 billion ringfenced funding, the people who deliver those services in the capital could see their posts axed. One said: “We expect letters next week telling us formally that our jobs are under threat.” Up to 600 staff focus on tackling potentially lethal lifestyle issues. Their futures are to be reviewed over the next few months.

There does seem to be an understated, quiet attempt to transfer services from public to private sector; it's almost by stealth. This is encouraging, as it may pre-empt the fatalistically low expectation of many people, which is that there's inevitably going to be mass unemployment. Why should that necessarily have to happen?Take a look at service providers "on the shop floor". It's not difficult to see that there's an easy route to conversion from public to private control - where control really means funding. It's not that every department is overstaffed or idle, although this is a popular misconception, but the weaker aspects will have to be culled if the remedy is to be given a fighting chance. The presently disguised, but underhand and dangerous enemy is entrenched in the middle levels of management. Their concerns are for others, natch - we provide an essential link in the heirachy and information flow, you will only understand our contribution after we're gone.I don't believe it.